The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-01-12
story of IA Georgia Town, rruc bu. Terrible

story OF II Georgia Town, True but Terrible,
l was recently in It small Southern vii.
lage; the county was Naturalization,
II OF the four stores two wore bar.
rooms, or whiskcy shops. 1t was no
common sight to see staggering mon and
crowds going and coming from these
shops, On court days, for tho county
court house was there, many men instead
OF eating good wholesome food for din.
nor, would so TO the bar and drink thoil
dinner, just think, a dinner Of this vile
burning poison; We're they iit men to
Judge their fellow mon? a thousands
times no. But willie ! soiourncd Mt this
place, | knew three bright promising lit
tie boys. aged four, five and six. Then
there wore two others, little ones, seven
months and two years, each having a
nurse, young colored girls. One day at
dinner we were ut the hotel, the Oldest
boy said Mama, Mr.. Barbrr-shop man,
the proprietor of the barroom also cut
hair called us and gave us all some cider.
Llz took Clyde and the baby TOO, and he
made every one drink even the little baby.
The Mama said, [ will punish you and
your brother for going. | strictly for
badc it. The little boy said Liz, Cthc
-'>'S t''NA''# IN NobbS Oll, louI ilIb
won't care for sweet cider, and Mrs. Max
lets Mi, Walter 60. Mr.. and Mrs. Max
were all present: and I'll not FORGET the
look Of horror these words brought to
Mr.. MaX's face. tie was Il strict Prcsby-
terrain minister, Walter, their one little
lamb; he turned to his wife and said,
Edna is this true; do you lot Walter go
to tins drink shop? She replied, he
went there to get his hair cut, and brother
Ralph said he was too Young for any
harm to come Of it. He aid, why don't
you sec even the baby is not too Young.
The man knows his part well. he begins
with the tender Young babe. DrinUinr
them up, cultivating Il taste for il, bait.
ing them for his own aim. am mortified
that III this fair village there is such vile.
black crime, and our beautiful boy, OH
siluddcr; ! wished to say when ne be-
came Il man, Waiter nns never set foot
IN a dram shop, and now cannot, little
dld dream of this, 50 Young. Why,
a let his hair grow long upuu his shout
dors, and Id punish him severely il he
knew 1t was a whisky shop. EDNA. | am,
surprised mt you, his mother. nearest 10
nm on earth; you who should be ever SO
wary and watchfui OF this evil. / am
deeply stirred within ne. Walter, never
set loot III this mans shop again, and
never taste or take any thing he offers
you. III | hear OF you doing 50, / shall
punish you severely. The other two
mothers showed equal distress for their
boys. The mother OF the babe especially,
to think, rs the good minister said, ne
was bringing up even the babies to love
his drln Her fa.hcr drank away reason
and lie, under this same an's Influence,
and her only brother on the verge OF
manhood; Oh! she trcmblcs TO think
what will be his fate. Is this iitfll g.icty,
thus bright bloom upon his young face,
the bloom and gnicty Of youth? She
trembles and pruys God it may be, and
not the fatal poisoning bloom and guicty
of strong drink. Edna, God watch and
guide your fair boy. And the widowed
mother of the other two, the two Oldest.
may she never experience the deep sor-
row OF seeing her boys Incorporate. Oh,
village, Oh! county, Danish alcohol from
your land, from your people, and You
Danish these fearful crimes that are now
racking you with deep distress, thon you
will see progress and prosperity, where
now Is d~ilapidation and non-progrcsslve-
ness. Whisky Is your curse; trcmblc
for your children, trcmblo for their
future. DO you recognize this true pic
tnrc? 1t is rs it really occurred! Georgia
Temperance Advocate.